Grammy-winning hip hop artist Method Man first broke into the
music scene as a member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, with
whom he released five critically acclaimed albums” "Enter
the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" (1993), "Wu-Tang Forever"
(1997), "The W" (2000), "Iron Flag" (2001) and "8
Diagrams" (2007)

Since then, Method Man has gone solo and released four successful
albums, "Tical" (1994), "Tical 2000: Judgement Day"
(1998), "Tical 0: The Prequel" (2004) and "4:21... The
Day After" (2006). He also released an album with frequent
collaborator Redman titled "Blackout!" (1999).

"With music, it’s just a vibe. I get a feeling then I
sit down and I write what I feel. With acting, I go over certain
things and do my repetitions to make sure I don't forget my lines
then when I am on set, I see the other actors and what I am working
with. When we are shooting a scene, I see what the other actors are
doing and see how I can play off that. In the end, it's silly too
because it's just a bunch of grown ups playing pretend." Method
Man

The 6' 3½" artist has appeared in the films "WaSanGo"
(2001), "How High" (2001), "My Baby's Daddy"
(2004), "Soul Plane" (2004), "The Wackness"
(2008) and "Meet the Spartans" (2008). He had his own show
with Redman called "Method & Red" (FOX; 2004) and
played Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the HBO drama "The
Wire" (2002-2008). He also had a recurring role in the HBO
prison drama "Oz" (2001) and in CBS’ crime/cop drama
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2003-2008).

Clifford Smith

Childhood and Family:

Born in Staten Island, New York, on April 1, 1971, Clifford Smith
divided his childhood between his father's Long Island residence and
his mother's Staten Island home. He has two sisters, Terri and Missy.

Method Man is a comic book fanatic and was a lacrosse player
growing up. He has claimed to have left high school in the ninth and
eleventh grades, as well as sold and experimented with drugs.

"Reality smacked me in the face early. That's why I don't
like to talk about my childhood." Method Man

Method Man later changed his name to Shaquan God Allah after
joining the Nation of Gods & Earths (also known as the Five
Percent Nation of Islam). He became engaged to his wife in 1995 and
they married in 2000. He has two children, a son born in 1997 and a
daughter born in 1998. He often shops with his children at Best Buy
and Pathmark on Richmond Ave.

How High

Career:

Introduced to music and poetry by his father, Method Man joined
the New York City–based hip-hop musical group “Wu-Tang
Clan,” which was founded by RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

Method Man released his debut album on November 9, 1993, under
Loud Records and RCA. “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).”
Despite its raw, underground sound, the album had surprising chart
success and was certified platinum by May 15, 1995.

Method Man became the first member of the group who released a
solo album. Under legendary rap label Def Jam, he released his
highly-acclaimed solo debut album "Tical" on November 15,
1994. Driven by the successful singles "Bring The Pain" and
"Release Yo Delf," the album became a commercial success,
climbing to #4 on the Billboard 200 and earned platinum certification
from RIAA on July 13, 1995.

Method Man subsequently collaborated with Mary J. Blige for the
song "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By,"
which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.
He was also featured on Tupac Shakur's song "Got My Mind Made
Up" in his album “All Eyez on Me” and on a song on
Showbiz and AG's album “Goodfellas.” A close friend with
the late The Notorious B.I.G., he became the only guest rapper
featured on his debut album “Ready to Die.”

After releasing Wu Tang Clan's long-awaited follow up album to "36
Chambers," "Wu-Tang Forever" (1997), a
Grammy-nominated double album that debuted at #1 in the U.S., UK, and
Canada despite its limited radio and TV airplay, Method Man released
his second solo effort, "Tical 2000: Judgement Day" (1998).
Jolted by its two singles "Break Ups 2 Make Ups" and
"Judgement Day," the album rose to #2 on the Billboard 200
chart and receiving platinum certification from RIAA.

Alongside Redman, Method Man released the full length album
"Blackout!" on September 28, 1999. Spawning the successful
singles "Y.O.U.," "Da Rockwilder," and "Tear
It Off," the album was certified platinum on January 6, 2000.

As a member of Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man released the group's third
album, "The W" (2000), which yielded the singles "Protect
Ya Neck (The Jump Off)," "Gravel Pit," "I Can't
Go To Sleep," and the banned-from-TV "Careful (Click,
Click)." It was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. The
following year, on December 18, 2001, "Iron Flag" was
released. Because their label Loud Records was on the verge of
shutting down at the time, the album only received Gold
certification.

On May 18, 2004, Method Man released his next solo album, "Tical
0: The Prequel," which was not as successful as his previous
albums although it topped at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart and
received platinum certification from RIAA.

"4:21... The Day After," Method Man's fourth solo album,
hit the music stores on August 29, 2006. Although it received a great
deal of positive feedback, the album that features guest appearances
from various Wu-Tang Clan members, Fat Joe, Styles P, Lauryn Hill,
Redman, and more, became his first album to not reach the Billboard
200's top 5.

In 2007, Method Man was reunited with Wu-Tang Clan to record their
fifth studio album, "8 Diagrams," which was released
through Street Records Corporation on December 11th that year.
Meanwhile, on August 17th, Method Man told MTV he was working on a
new album called “Crystal Method” and confirmed that the
producers for the upcoming album are RZA, Erick Sermon, and DJ
Scratch.

Method Man has also branched out into acting. Starting out with a
guest spot in a 1997 episode of the HBO sitcom "Martin," he
appeared in the films "One Eight Seven" (1997), "Cop
Land" (1997), "Wu-Tang" (1998), "Belly"
(1998), "P.I.G.S." (1999), "Boricua's Bond"
(2000), "WaSanGo" (2001), "How High" (2001), "My
Baby's Daddy" (2004), "Garden State" (2004), "Soul
Plane" (2004) and "Venom" (2005). He also starred in a
number of made-for-television movies and guest starred in such TV
shows as "Wonderland," "Mad TV," "Third
Watch," "The Twilight Zone," "Boston Public,"
and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." He had a
recurring role in the HBO prison drama "Oz" (2001) and in
CBS’ crime/cop drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"
(2003-2008).

Method Man had his own show with Redman called "Method &
Red," which aired on FOX from June 16, 2004, to July 26, 2004.
He also played Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the HBO drama
"The Wire" (2002-2008).

Recently, moviegoers could catch him starring in the 2008 films
"The Wackness," a film by Jonathan Levine starring Famke
Janssen, Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck, and "Meet the Spartans,"
a parody film produced and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron
Seltzer which pokes fun at the film "300."

On how he got involved in "The Wackness," Method Man
recalled, “Well, I wanted to do something independent. I asked
my manager if I could do something independent, anything independent,
really. But it had to be quality. So when Jonathon (Levine) called
and I got the script, read it, liked it, said, "This is hot
right here." I want to work with these dudes. Plus, he was
giving me the opportunity to do something I hadn't done before, with
the whole accent thing. It was cool. I had fun.”

Awards:

Grammy: Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group, "I'll Be
There For You/You're All I Need To Get By," 1995 (shared with
Mary J. Blige)